Take me out to the ball game.

I went out for my first Dodger game of the season tonight. Unfortunately, Javy Guerra got hit in the face on a come backer and eventually blew the lead. We lost 4-2. One of my dreams is to one day have the time to attend and afford season tickets. I love going to the Stadium!

Beach House.

One of the albums that I'm eagerly anticipating this year is "Bloom" by the band Beach House. They have been one of my favorite bands during the past four years. Their last two albums, 'Devotion' and 'Teen Dream,' have not changed much in terms of style but I don't mind. It is a simple style with basic guitar riffs,  synthesizers, and simple lyrics that are sang beautifully by lead singer Victoria Legrand. Bloom seems to follow the same recipe and is sure to do well. Here is their latest single, "Myth." I love it! The album will be released on 05/15/12. 

Zurich/Schafhausen.

Schaffhausen is a small town north of Zurich in Switzerland. The town is bordered by Germany to the north, east and west. It was founded during the middle ages and still has a 16th century fortress that I got a chance to visit. The town is beautiful. The Rhine river runs through it. It also creates the largest waterfall in Europe just two miles south of the town at Rheinfall. Here are some pictures of the town, the waterfall, and shots I took during our strolls in Zurich.

Rheinfall, Switzerland.

Rheinfall.

Cathedral towers in Zurich, Switzerland.

View from top of Grossmunster Church tower. Zurich.

View of Schaffhausen from Munot Fortress.

View from top of the stairs at Munot fortress. (Schaffhause, Switzerland)

Munot Fortress. Schaffhausen, Switzerland.

Paris: Space Invader

While in Paris we had a game going to see how many 'Space Invader' mosaics we'd be able to find. The postings are from street artist Invader who, inspired by the video game Space Invader, has posted mosaics on buildings from Paris to Los Angeles. Here are a few pictures of the ones we spotted.

Throughout the city you can find great street art. Whether it be Stencils or even just quotes. One that stood out was "regarde le ciel" or "look at the sky." This quote was written on park benches, subway stops, and on the sides of buildings throughout Paris. As simple as it seems I really enjoyed the style. Click here to see the facebook page they've put together with a compilation of these photos.

Paris: The Food.

Steamed mussels and pomme frites at La Mascotte.

One of the highlights of my trip was the food in Paris. Whether it be a chocolate dipped croissant, a  mushroom and cheese crepe from a street vendor, or steamed clams from La Mascotte in Monmartre, it was all delicious. Across the street from Notre Dame cathedral is a reasonably priced restaurant called Esmeralda's. There I tried escargot for the first time and was blown away. The snails were cooked in butter and pesto and had the texture of steamed clams. I regret not ordering the full dozen. The other place I really enjoyed was a restaurant near Victor Hugo's house called Cafe Hugo's. The French onion soup there was amazing! We also had their cheese platter with some really good red wine. The grand finale was a steak dinner with some scalloped potatoes that were lightly seasoned and baked. The food in Paris was magnificent and did not disappoint one bit. One of the many reasons I hope to return someday.
Another thing I loved about the restaurants in Paris was how kick back they were. There is no such thing as a quick sit down meal there. When people meet up at restaurants for either dinner or drinks, they relax and enjoy each others company. You can sit, chat, eat and drink for hours without the waiter bringing you the check. It was a pretty neat experience. 

Escargot at Esmeralda's.

Cafe Hugo's French Onion Soup!

Steak was good but the highlight was the potatoes!

Crepes in Republique.

Euro Trip.

Breakbot at Le Social Club, 4/1/20

I was lucky enough to spend my spring break in Europe. In particular, I visited Paris (France), Zurich (Switzerland), and Stuttgart (Germany). It was amazing! I had always dreamed of traveling to Europe and now I can't wait to return. Typically vacations tire me out but this time we had plenty of down time to relax, walk around and explore each city. My favorite was by far Paris. The city is beautiful. We would walk for hours throughout the city and just be amazed by the architecture. We even had the chance to catch a local DJ called Breakbot. He played at a spot called Le Social Club and had an awesome set. The club scene there was much the same as here in Los Angeles except most Parisians began to show up at 1am. The headlining DJ didn't go on until 3am! It was surreal to walk to our hotel in the early morning and still see plenty of people exiting bars and strolling down the street. Much like New York, it is the city that never sleeps. I'll post more about my Euro trip in the upcoming days.